Ground-effect machines having improved guiding and propelling means

ABSTRACT

A ground effect machine borne on the ground in part by one or more pressure fluid cushions an in part by one or more wheels for guiding and driving said machine, the degree of ground engagement of said wheel or wheels being controllable by means of jacks, thereby to adjust the weight proportion of said machine shared by said cushion(s) and said wheel(s).

United States Patent Neuilly-sur-seine, France 21 AppLNo. 741,991 22 Filed [72] inventor Jean Henri Bertin 5F9X 1 l 1 1v 2 0 0 2 1 .1 8 W 2 8 3,095,938 7/1963 Bertelsen...

2,364,676 12/1944 Warner 3,173,510 3/1965 Smith.....

3,177,959 4/1965 Gaska........

3,182,739 5/1965 Cockerell 3,203,645 8/1965 ShaW 3,242,896 3/1966 Kauffmann................... 3,342,280 9/1967 Beardsley Primary Examiner-A. Harry Levy July 2, 1968 145] Patented June 22, 1971 [73] Assignee Bertin & Cie [32] Priority Jan. 17, 1961 (33] France [31] 849,877

Pat. 1,310,483

54 GROUNILEFFECT MACHINES AVING Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher IMPROVED GUIDING AND PROPELLING MEANS 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A ground effect machine borne on the ground in 180/ 119, part by one or more pressure fluid cushions an in part by one 180/121 or more wheels for guiding and driving said machine, the

[51] Int. 560v 3/02 degree of ground engagement of said wheel or wheels being [50] Field 180/1 19, controllable by means ofjacks, thereby to adjust the weight proportion of said machine shared by said cushion(s) and said whee1(s).

PATENTEU Juuazzan 3586118 sum 1 [1F 2 PATENTED. JUN22 |91| SHEET 2 BF 2 GROUND-EFFECT MACHINES HAVING IMPROVED GUIDING AND PROPELLING MEANS This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 502,934 filed Oct. 23, 1965 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,835, which is itselfa continuation-in-part of my application, Ser. No. 165,634 filed Jan. 11, 1962, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,764.

This invention relates to hovering platforms or ground effect machines for which lift is provided, at a small height above the ground, by compressed air cushions, and is more particularly concerned with guidance and propulsion of such machines. Indeed, initial flight testing has shown that problems exist in guidance and propulsion of such platforms or machines. In particular these platforms or machines present a marked tendency to skid when guidance is operated by aerodynamic means. Moreover, propulsion of these platforms or machines by means of a propeller or of a jet engine has been revealed noisy or otherwise inconvenient, particularly, for machines to be used in inhabited areas.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ground effect machine having propelling and guiding means which present an improved efficiency.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ground effect machine having propelling and guiding means comprising at least a wheel supporting a controllable fraction of the weight of said machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ground effect machine with a drive guide wheel supporting a controllable fraction of the weight of said machine.

This is attained, according to the invention, by providing the ground effect machine with at least a drive guide wheel, the engagement of which with the ground can be varied by the driver by means of a jack extending between wheel carrier means and the platform or frame of the machine.

In a preferred embodiment the wheels are disposed externally of the area occupied by the pressure fluid cushions of the machine and respectively to the front and to the rear of this area when considering the normal direction of motion of the machine. This offset of the wheels impart to them an important leverage with respect to the center of gravity of the machine, and also with respect to the center of thrust of any fluid cushion or of all the fluid cushions. This important feature permits effectively to counteract skidding as well as swaying of the machine which result from the momentaneous inclination of one or more skirts defining a pressure fluid cushion. Also, this feature permits to correct any tilt of the machine due to load unevenly distributed on the platform.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will appear in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, given by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1, is a diagrammatic elevation view of a vehicle according to the invention;

FIG. 2, is a corresponding front elevation view of the vehicle in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3, is a perspective view of a ground effect machine according to the invention, designed as a truck.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a ground effect vehicle having a platform 1 on the undersurface of which are formed four separate and distinct gaseous cushions, each of which is fed with gas under pressure discharged by three injectors comprising each of a diffuser duct 3 cooperating with an injector nozzle 4. The diffuser ducts 3 corresponding to different gaseous cushions constitute double-ended discrete feed passages having an inlet or suction end and an outlet or discharge end. The injector nozzles 4 are supplied with motive gas tapped from the discharge pipe of a compressed gas generator 5 which is preferably a gas-turbine engine.

Each of said gaseous cushions is of the plenum chamber type and confined within a cylindrical skirt 2 made of flexible material, the cylindrical shape ensuring that internal pressure variations do not affect the cushion height. The skirt 2 is mounted on a supporting frame 7. The frame 7 is gimbaled by means of two horizontally opposed pivots 8 of a ring 9 supporting the pivots 8 and supported by two horizontally opposed pivots 10 solid with the platform and set at right angles to the axis of the pivots 8. The pivots 10 are preferably fixed to the walls of a flotation tank 21 disposed inside each cushion.

The upper portion of each skirt 2 provides an oscillation joint, an example being the bellows joint 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), whereby the skirt is able to move freely in all directions and full tightness within minimum friction is ensured.

Through the instrumentality of actuating means well known per se, such as the cable and pulley assembly shown in FIG. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,953,320, a flight control lever 12 controls the pivotal motion of the skirts above the two perpendicular axes containing respectively the pivots 8 and the pivots 10. Thus it is possible to simultaneously orientate a horizontal force in that direction.

The platform is further equipped with a front orientable wheel 13 and a rear wheel 14 driven by an engine 17, for providing positive (friction) guidance and propulsion in a manner well known per se in the motorcycle art. The wheels are mounted respectively on arms 15 and 16 articulated on the platform, said arms being further linked to the platform, in an articulated manner, by means ofjack such as 18, 19, and are designed to support, for example, only 10 to 20 percent of the total weight of the vehicle. The major part of the weight is supported by the gaseous cushions. The jack lengths may be adapted to permit adjustment of the weight percentage supported by the wheels.

Valves 20 enable the compressed gas supplied by the gas generating engine 5 to be distributed as desired to the various cushions.

After the lift engine 5 has been started up, the platform 1 rises on its air cushions and may be piloted by movement of the control lever 12 which orientates the skirts 2. Accelerations obtained thereby, however, must be kept to a low value in order to avoid diminishing the lifting efficiency, and such accelerations will therefore be suited to translational motion and to lowspeed maneuvering.

As a part of the weight of the vehicle is supported by the wheels 13, 14 thus the propulsion of said vehicle may be effected by means of the rear wheel and the accelerations and decelerations exceed those attained previously by aerodynamic means usually used on ground effect machines, with yet a good propulsive efficiency. The tandem wheels will in fact ensure good stability when travelling on the ground even at cruising speeds, if they support 10 to 20 percent of the weight and if the front wheel 13 is steerable as heretofore mentioned. The wheels may be fltted with tires having treads adapted to ensure good traction with the ground.

The effects of the sideway forces due to the wind are thus reduced, and the corresponding tipping couple may be further counterbalanced by suitably operating the valves 20 in a differential manner.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated therein a ground effect machine designated as a truck. This machine comprises a platform 22 on the undersurface of which are formed eight separate and distinct gaseous cushions. Each of these gaseous cushions is of the plenum chamber type and confined within a cylindrical skirt 23 made of flexible material. These skirts are mounted in the manner which has been described relatively to skirt 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Two drive guide wheels 24 are disposed forward of the group of skirts 23 while two other drive guide wheels 25 are disposed rearward of said group of skirts. Each of the wheels 24 and 25 is mounted on a wheel carrier member 26 articulated about an axle 27 or 28. The member 26 comprises an arm 26a and a transmission element 26b The arm 26a is further linked to the platform, in an articulated manner, by means of a jack 29 the length of which can be controlled by the driver of the machine. The transmission element 26b allows the wheels 24 and 25 to be driven by engines such as 30 or 31. The front wheels 24 can be further orientated for directing the machine through the medium of steering means 32, for example, from the driver cabin.

In operation, the driver can control the engagement of the wheels with the ground by actuation of the jacks 29 and thus adjust the weight percentage of the machine which is supported by the wheels. For example, this percentage can be varied from 5 to 30 percent of the total weight of the machine including the load, depending on the state of the ground on which the machine is'moving and on the path to be followed.

The present machine is mainly designed for operating on the ground, but can also cross a ford or a marsh if necessary. In this event, it is advantageous to provide the wheels 2d and 25 with side paddles such as 33 in order to ensure propelling of the machine on water.

Thenumber of drive wheels may, of course, be modified as required, and it will be well understood by those skilled in the art that various further changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments of the ground effect machine hereinbefore disclosed, within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wheeled ground effect machine comprising a rigid structure movable along a bearing surface in spaced relationship therewith with the interposition of a pressure fluid cushion system comprising a fluid cushion retaining means secured to the underside of said structure and open to said surface for permitting the fluid cushion system retained thereby to react against said surface for supporting, in part, said structure above said surface, and of a wheel system engaging said surface externally of said cushion means, said systems being in mutual load sharing relation with respect to said machine and bearing respective fractions of the load thereof against said surface, wherein the improvement comprises wheel carrier means supporting said wheel system and movably connected to said structure for adjustability of the wheel system position relatively to said structure, and controllably jack operated strut means extending between said structure and said wheel carrier means for adjusting the engagement of said wheel system with said surface whereby said load fractions borne respectively by said wheel system and by said cushion system are oppositely varied through operation of said controllable jack meansv 2. A wheeled ground effect machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wheel system comprises a front wheel forwardly offset with respect to the front limit of the area occupied by said pressure fluid cushion system and a rear wheel rearwardly offset with respect to the real limit of said area, wherein said wheel carrier means comprises a front carrier and a rear carrier respectively associated with said front wheel and rear wheel, and wherein said controllable jack operated strut means comprise a front jack and a rear jack respectively associated with said front carrier and rear carrier. 

1. A wheeled ground effect machine comprising a rigid structure movable along a bearing surface in spaced relationship therewith with the interposition of a pressure fluid cushion system comprising a fluid cushion retaining means secured to the underside of said structure and open to said surface for permitting the fluid cushion system retained thereby to react against said surface for supporting, in part, said structure above said surface, and of a wheel system engaging said surface externally of said cushion means, said systems being in mutual load sharing relation with respect to said machine and bearing respective fractions of the load thereof against said surface, wherein the improvement comprises wheel carrier means supporting said wheel system and movably connected to said structure for adjustability of the wheel system position relatively to said structure, and controllably jack operated strut means extending between said structure and said wheel carrier means for adjusting the engagement of said wheel system with said surface whereby said load fractions borne respectively by said wheel system and by said cushion system are oppositely varied through operation of said controllable jack means.
 2. A wheeled ground effect machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wheel system comprises a front wheel forwardly offset with respect to the front limit of the area occupied by said pressure fluid cushion system and a rear wheel rearwardly offset with respect to the real limit of said area, whereIn said wheel carrier means comprises a front carrier and a rear carrier respectively associated with said front wheel and rear wheel, and wherein said controllable jack operated strut means comprise a front jack and a rear jack respectively associated with said front carrier and rear carrier. 